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Watch LeBron James tip in game-winner at buzzer, give Lakers road win in Indiana

NBA: Los Angeles Lakers at Indiana Pacers

Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates his game winning shot against the Indiana Pacers with teammates at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

It had not been LeBron James' night. He started the game shooting 0-of-6 from the floor and at the start of the fourth quarter his 18-year streak of scoring in double-digits was at serious risk.

But with the game on the line, it was LeBron who was in the right place for a buzzer-beating tip-in that gave the Lakers a 120-119 win in Indiana.

" I really couldn't have too much emotion because I was trying to see if I got the ball off in time," LeBron said of the tip-in postgame.

This was a wild back-and-forth ending where the Lakers — who led much of the game — were up six with less than two minutes to go but saw the Pacers take the lead as the teams kept exchanging runs and buckets.

The Lakers got 34 points from Luka Doncic and 24 from Austin Reaves, but there were a lot of players making clutch plays, like a couple of late 3-pointers from Rui Hachimura (the Lakers missed him, his return has been a boost). With the win, the Lakers are just half a game back of the Nuggets for the No. 3 seed in the West.

Indiana had a far more balanced attack with Bennedict Mathurin leading the way with 23 points and seven players in double digits. The loss was a blown opportunity for the Pacers, who could have gone up two full games on the Bucks for the No. 4 seed in the East.

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Clay Holmes to take ‘uncharted’ new role slow, beginning with Mets’ 2025 Opening Day start

Clay Holmes’ last 300 big league appearances have been out of the bullpen. On Thursday afternoon in Houston on Opening Day, the right-hander will climb the hill for the Mets as a starter for the first time in 2,370 days.  

“Definitely try and enjoy the moment, just soak it in for a second,” Holmes said on Wednesday. “Then it’s time to get to work.”

On the eve of making a big shift from closer to starter, the 32-year-old was asked what the biggest question he has about his season. “It’s a good question,” Holmes said, pausing and looking toward the sky from the Mets’ dugout in Houston.

“Personally, I’m keeping this thing kinda short-sighted,” Holmes said. “For me, it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s get through five starts and evaluate where we’re at.’ And you get through that one start at a time.

“It sure is fun to set big season goals, long goals. But, especially this being so new, and it’s been a while since I’ve done this, it’s a little bit uncharted [territory] for me. There’s been a few guys who’ve done this the past few years, but for me, it’s like, get through the starts, see where we’re at, see how we’re feeling, see how things are testing, and put a plan for the next week and tackle the next start.”

Holmes said early on this is something that will require a lot of monitoring.

“Monitor where we’re at, see where the trends are going and correct course when we need to,” he continued. “And hopefully be out there for every start.”

Holmes said he has been in contact with two pitchers who have made the switch – Michael King and Garrett Crochet, both of whom are, coincidentally enough, also Opening Day starters Thursday – to pick their brains on that, but every pitcher is “a bit different.”

“Everybody has their own set of challenges and things they need to accomplish, but just to hear their perspective and how the overall experience went for them,” he said. “It’s just good to have that perspective when you do run into things, have questions, it’s nice to have that.”

But, Holmes isn’t shying away from the expectations of the ballclub, which come from an NLCS trip last year, and the other former Yankee who made the jump from The Bronx to Queens this offseason.

“You can feel the excitement, there’s definitely expectations,” he said. “Everybody knows the payroll and the players we have here and the talent we have here and there are things that come with that.

“... there’s expectations, sure, but there’s a lot of accountability in the locker room, too. And I think that’s what makes this group great.”

Entering his eighth big league season, the righty said there’s a standard that’s being set here, and the “responsibility” of World Series expectations is one the players are “all excited to have.”

Now, all that’s left is the next 162 games.

“I think we had a great spring training, I think we’re in a great position to do what we set out to do,” Holmes said.  “Time to just go compete now.”

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Islanders Stumble, Fall To Canucks 5-2

ELMONT, NY- The New York Islanders fell to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday at UBS Arena, losing 5-2. With the loss the Islanders squandered an opportunity to move into a playoff spot for the first time since November 16.

Thatcher Demko picked up the win for the Canucks, stopping 26 of 28 Islander shots.

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© Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, Isles goalie, Ilya Sorokin was pulled early in the third period after making just 15 saves on 19 shots. Marcus Hogberg came in relief to save all five Canuck shots he faced.

Neither team scored in the first period, with the Islanders getting the better of the chances. Demko stood on his head making many incredible stops, including two on Bo Horvat.

After the one period, the Islanders lead 10-5 shots, but neither team could score.

Kiefer Sherwood opened the scoring early in the second period. He tipped a long shot taken by Quinn Hughes into the back of the net with 2:39 off the clock. Filip Hronek tapped the puck to Hughes, earning the secondary assist.

A few minutes later with the Canucks on the power play, J.G. Pageau and Casey Cizikas connected to score shorthanded for the Islanders 5:35 into period two to tie the game at one:

Then, exactly nine minutes into the middle frame Tony DeAngelo outwaited Demko after the puck popped free to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead. Cizikas earned his second assist of the night, with Pierre Engvall being credited with the secondary assist:

4:59 later, the game was knotted up once again. Former Islander Aatu Raty, who was dealt in the trade that brought Horvat to the Islanders, scored his third of the season to even the score at 2-2. Marcus Pettersson and Sherwood assisted.

Then, Derek Forbort scored his second goal of the season for the Canucks with 22.9 seconds left to go in the second period. Jake DeBrusk and Pius Suter assisted and the Canucks entered the third period with a 3-2 lead.

To start period three, Conor Garland stole the puck and Teddy Blueger wristed a shot past Sorokin only 1:05 in, consequently ending Sorokin’s night.

Hogberg entered the game in relief of Sorokin.

The Islanders had a power play attempt with 13:40 remaining but couldn’t get anything going. Then another with 4:41 left with the net empty - - and an extra attacker.

New York failed to score and Sherwood scored his second of the game into the empty net with 1:52 to go. The ENG made it 5-2 and was assisted by Suter and Drew O’Connor.

Losing 5-2, the Islanders are still one-point out of a playoff spot. They are back in action on Saturday in Tampa Bay at 2 pm against the Lightning.

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Colorado State tabs top assistant Ali Farokhmanesh to replace Niko Medved

Colorado State hired Niko Medved's top assistant to replace him as basketball coach following a quick 24-hour search. Ali Farokhmanesh, 36, was promoted Wednesday evening after Medved left Fort Collins earlier this week to coach at his alma mater, Minnesota. The hire provides some continuity for a program that was 143-85 under Medved and posted three 25-win seasons in the last four years.

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Blackhawks Unable To Win Consecutive Games; Lose To Devils 5-3

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CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks took on the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night at the United Center. After winning big over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday afternoon, Chicago was looking for their second straight win. 

New Jersey came in floundering despite their comfortable playoff position. This was the right time for the Hawks to get a win over the Devils. 

The Blackhawks did not have an ideal start to the game. New Jersey took a 2-0 lead before the first period was halfway done. It looked like it would be an ugly one early on for Chicago. 

The Devils eventually took a first-period penalty, which allowed the Blackhawks to gain some momentum. Tyler Bertuzzi scored his standard power-play goal by camping out in front of the net. This 2-1 score carried into the first intermission. 

In the second period, both sides had up and down moments. Just over three minutes into the period, the Blackhawks saw their next power play go completely different from their first one. 

The Hawks turned the puck over a handful of times, and eventually, Jesper Bratt made a play that allowed Ondrej Palat to shoot one in. Just over two minutes later, however, Ilya Mikheyev brought the Blackhawks back within one to keep Chicago in the game.

It looked like the Blackhawks tied it when Ryan Donato redirected an Artyom Levshunov shot, but a review determined that it wouldn’t count because of a high stick redirection. 

Later in the middle frame, the Devils were awarded a controversial power-play chance. Simon Nemec was on top of Connor Bedard pushing him into the ice, and Landon Slaggert came to his rescue.

Slaggert was the only one who was given a penalty on the play, and New Jersey scored a power-play goal to make it 4-2. That score went into the second intermission. As you can imagine, the home crowd was not a fan of how that played out.  

The third period was mostly uneventful. Things did get a little bit interesting at the end, however, when the Blackhawks pulled Spencer Knight for the extra attacker with over four minutes left. Frank Nazar scored to get the Blackhawks within one. 

Although the Blackhawks looked like they might be able to get it tied up late, the Devils sealed it by throwing one into the empty net and walked away with a 5-3 victory. The comeback effort came up short. 

One player who deserves some individual praise is Artyom Levshunov. He was the third star of the game in a loss thanks to his two assists. There are some things to work on when it comes to his defensive game and overall positioning, but his skating and offensive skills allow him to find the scoresheet often. 

Chicago was unable to win two in a row for the first time in about a month. They fall to 2-7-1 in their last ten games and 21-42-9 overall. 

Now, they will face an even tougher test as the Vegas Golden Knights will be in the building on Friday night. Chicago has played okay at times against elite teams, but they will need their very best to have a chance in this one. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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Devils fend off late push to snap three-game losing streak with 5-3 win over Blackhawks

CHICAGO (AP) — Luke Hughes had three assists, Jesper Bratt chipped in with two and the New Jersey Devils ended their three-game losing streak with a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.

Nathan Bastian, Timo Meier, Ondrej Palat, Dawson Mercer and Stefan Noesen scored for the Devils. Bratt has four assists in his last three games and a career-high 84 points this season. Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves.

Nico Hischier extended his point streak to eight games with an assist on Noesen’s empty-net goal. Hischier has four goals and five assists since March 11.

Tyler Bertuzzi, Ilya Mikheyev and Frank Nazar scored for Chicago, which has lost eight of the last 10 games. Spencer Knight stopped 15 shots.

Takeaways

Devils: New Jersey won both games against the Blackhawks this season, including a 4-1 win in their previous matchup on Dec. 14.

Blackhawks: Chicago outshot the Devils 24-20, including 13 shots in the third period, but struggled to get past Markstrom.

Key moment

The Devils scored two goals within 27 seconds of each other to take a 2-0 lead over the Blackhawks. Bastian scored at 6:23 of the first period and Mercer at 6:50. Mercer’s came on a power play just five seconds into the penalty.

Key stat

The last time the Devils scored at even strength, on the power play, short-handed and into an empty net was Nov. 14 against the Panthers. They had three power-play goals, two at even strength and one short-handed empty-netter in the 6-2 win.

Up next

The Devils visit the Jets on Friday, and the Blackhawks host the Golden Knights the same night.

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Islanders pull Ilya Sorokin in 5-2 loss to Canucks

NEW YORK (AP) — Kiefer Sherwood had two goals and one assist, Thatcher Demko finished with 26 saves and the Vancouver Canucks beat the New York Islanders 5-2 on Wednesday night.

Aatu Raty, Derek Forbort and Teddy Blueger also scored for Vancouver.

Casey Cizikas and Tony DeAngelo scored for New York and Ilya Sorokin made 15 saves before getting pulled early in the third period. Marcus Hogberg had five saves in relief.

The Canucks scored three times in a 7:06 stretch to take a 4-2 lead after the Islanders took a 2-1 lead midway through the second period.

Blueger scored 65 seconds into the third period to chase Sorokin. Sherwood added an empty-net goal with 1:52 remaining.

The Islanders remain on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture after losing three of four on a four-game homestand.

Takeaways

Canucks: Demko started his second straight game since returning to the lineup after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 8. The 2024 Vezina candidate also missed the first 24 games of the regular season while recovering from a knee injury sustained during the first game of the 2024 playoffs.

Islanders: DeAngelo gave the Islanders a short-lived one-goal lead in the second period and extended his point streak to four games (one goal, four assists).

Key Moment

Demko made two stellar saves on Bo Horvat in the first period, which allowed Vancouver to weather an early barrage from the Islanders and eventually score the first goal when Sherwood redirected a shot from Quinn Hughes.

Key Stat

Raty scored his third of the season to even the score at 2-2 in his first game back at UBS arena since the Islanders traded him and additional assets for Horvat in January 2023.

Up Next

The Canucks visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday while the Islanders play at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

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LeBron James' tap-in at the buzzer snaps Lakers' three-game losing streak

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots in front of Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Lakers guard Luka Doncic, right, pulls up for a short-range jumper against Pacers forward Pascal Siakam during the first half Wednesday night in Indianapolis. (AJ Mast / Associated Press)

All it took was 70 seconds to lose focus, to stop playing with the right intention, the right mindset, the right spirit.

All it took was 70 seconds for the Lakers to see a six-point lead turn all the way to a one-point deficit, a stretch coming in the final moments of the fourth quarter that it seemed likely, if not certain, that they’d lose for the fourth consecutive time.

Yet all it took was one-tenth of one second, a blink, for LeBron James to tip in a missed Luka Doncic floater to give the Lakers a dramatic 120-119 win against the Pacers.

James struggled to score, failing to make a field goal through three quarters for the first time in his career, not counting a game in which he didn’t play the entire second half because of an injury.

Early in the fourth quarter, James got hot and extended his streak of games with at least 10 points to 1,283 games thanks to quick work in transition and some deft shot-making, but it was far from his night. James finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

He had help, Doncic and Austin Reaves each carrying the offense for long stretches until James got right. Late in the game, both Doncic and Reaves struggled as the Pacers pushed — Reaves missing a pair of open threes and committing a key turnover and Doncic getting attacked on three consecutive possessions to turn into those seven huge Pacers points and a one-point lead.

Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith, right, blocks the shot of Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin during the first half Wednesday
Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith, right, blocks the shot of Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin during the first half Wednesday (AJ Mast / Associated Press)

But the Lakers got the stop they needed and gave themselves a chance, creating a great look for Doncic’s potential first game-winner as a Laker. The ball bounced softly off the rim only for James to finish the play just as the horn sounded.

After a video review, the basket was confirmed, the Lakers’ three-game losing streak over.

Doncic finished with 34 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while Reaves had 24 points and five assists.

The Lakers' recent struggles have been significant enough that the team took what’s become a seemingly drastic step — holding a pregame shoot-around. It’s something the Lakers haven’t done in an official sense since Jan. 30 in Washington.

“First time in a long time we've been on the court together, so it was great," coach JJ Redick said before the game. "Cleaned up some stuff offensively. Got our defensive breakdowns in, got some offensive breakdowns in, did some script. It was wonderful.

"Spent yesterday talking about our [switching] offense. We, it's funny, we put together an edit. Had a couple [after timeout] stuff. We wanted to clean up and put together an edit of 11 plays of our [switching] attacks. And if you just watch those plays, you're like, 'Oh man, they're really good. That's good basketball.' Unfortunately, it was the only 11 plays from the Orlando game, so … We'll be better.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Nets' offense stagnant in 116-86 loss to Raptors

NEW YORK (AP) — Orlando Robinson had 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting and added 12 rebounds to help the Toronto Raptors rout the Brooklyn Nets 116-86 on Wednesday night.

Eleventh in the Eastern Conference, the Raptors won their second straight game and handed the 12th-place Nets their fifth straight loss.

Jonathan Mogbo added 15 points and RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes each had 15. The Raptors won at Washington on Monday night to snap a four-game losing streak.

Nic Claxton led Brooklyn with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Ziaire Williams added 13 points.

Takeaways

Raptors: Toronto is 18-16 in its last 34 games.

Nets: Brooklyn is 1-8 in its last nine and 2-15 in its last 17.

Key moment

Toronto took control early, leading 32-18 after the first quarter.

Key stat

Robinson had 10 first-quarter points, making four attempts from the field and two free throws without a miss.

Up next

Both teams play Friday night. The Raptors host Charlotte, and the Nets host the Los Angeles Clippers.

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Knicks can't withstand second-half Clippers run, fall 126-113

The Knicks missed their first chance to clinch a postseason berth, falling to the Los Angeles Clippers 126-113 on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

New York started well, but Los Angeles – the NBA's second-best defensive team in the league – tightened the screws holding the home team to 18 of 40 (45 percent) from the floor in the second half. On the other end, the Knicks’ poor three-point defense got torched, coceeding 11 threes on 18 attempts (61 percent) in the second half.

Los Angeles grabbed control of the game with a monster third quarter – outscoring New York 40-29 in the period with eight made threes – led by James Harden, who scored 16 of his 29 points. Kawhi Leonard (6-for-9 in the second half) added 27 points on the night.

"They got going, and it was a problem," head coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game.

Karl-Anthony Towns was the lone Knick with any firepower on the night. He finished with 34 points on 11-for-20 shooting (4-for-7 from three) with 13 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and was a plus-2 in 39 minutes.

The Knicks (45-27), playing the second night of a back-to-back against a rested opponent, dropped another game to a team with a winning record and are now 11-18 on the year against such foes. The Clippers improved to 41-31.

Here are some takeaways...

- The Knicks opened up the first quarter playing unselfish basketball, tallying 12 assists on 14 made baskets in the quarter. Josh Hart dished out four assists and Mikal Bridges – adding this to his game in Jalen Brunson’s absence –  had five.

New York opened up a 33-20 lead while knocking down 56 percent in the opening period with Cam Payne – in the starting lineup with Miles McBride still sidelined due to a groin injury – connecting on 4 of 6 shots and two from downtown for 10 points. Towns added 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting with six rebounds.

And that was the extent of the good news. Hart led the Knicks with a plus-7 in 34 minutes but had just seven points, six assists, and six rebounds on the night.

Bridges made just one bucket after the half to finish with 17 points on 7-for-16 shooting with nine assists and four rebounds for a plus-2 in 40 minutes. OG Anunoby went 8-for-11 in the second half to finish with 28 points but was a minus-8 in 37 minutes.

- The Clippers' 19-9 edge in second chance points and 14-2 edge on the fastbreak were a big difference in the game.

“We had good movement, we had 35 assists and the turnovers weren’t high, but the points we gave up off the turnovers were,” Thibodeau said after a 10 turnover game for his side. “I think we gave up 18 there and 19 on second chance points. And that’s a lot, particularly when you’re shorthanded. That’s probably the difference in the game.

“Our margin of error is small. We gotta play extremely hard and smart, and those hustle points are huge.”

- Nine seconds into the second quarter, Hart picked up his third foul of the first half, forcing him to the bench and his impact on the game was rather limited from then on. That brought out a lineup of Bridges, Landry Shamet, Precious Achiuwa, Mitchell Robinson, and Tyler Kolek. Despite that, the home side held the visitors to a 12-9 five-minute stretch with Bridges scoring seven. Of course, the Knicks – with KAT, Anunoby, and Payne back in – allowed an 11-2 LA run as they went 1-for-4 and committed a pair of turnovers.

The bench unit was hit hard in the game; Shamet was a minus-29 in 19 minutes and Robinson a minus-22 in 13 minutes.

The Knicks shot 10-for-19 in the second, but the lead was down to one as the Clippers connected on 15 of 28 attempts as they were out-bounded 15-6 with LA grabbing seven offensive boards. The warning signs of a game slipping away were loud.

- Payne, who landed funny and appeared to twist an ankle in the first quarter, was ruled out at halftime due to a right ankle sprain. He came out at the interval to test the ankle before returning to the locker room. 

As a starter, he was effective despite the injury, scoring 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting (3-for-6 from three) with two rebounds for a plus-2  in 18 first-half minutes.

- Five minutes into the second half, the Clippers had their first lead of the game, capping an 8-0 run with a Kris Dunn wide-open corner three. Towns, scoring 10 in the period, got the Knicks back into the game, but Harden had the Clippers up 10 to enter the fourth using a 16-3 run in the quarter’s final three minutes.

- Delon Wright replaced Kolek at the point to start the fourth, and he was called for a technical foul for a flop while trying to set a screen in the quarter’s early minutes. The visitors remained in control, outsourcing New York 15-7 in the first four minutes, and the air had totally left the arena.

- With five assists in the second period, Kolek now has 22 assists and 0 turnovers in his last three games played. That stretch – over 50 minutes of action – was snapped by an errant pass in the third. He has 48 assists on the year to just 10 turnovers in 36 games this year.

Kolek failed to register a point (0-for-3 from the floor and 0-for-2 from the line) with seven assists and was a minus-14 in 19 minutes.

Highlights

Whats next

New York heads off to Milwaukee for a single-game road trip, facing the Bucks on Friday for an 8 p.m. tip.

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MLB Opening Day 2025: 30 bold predictions for the season ahead

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

As Opening Day of the 2025 MLB season looms, Baseball Bar-B-Cast hosts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman are bringing us their bold predictions for 2025. 

Here’s a run-down of the audacious forecasts they’ve made before the season begins on Thursday.

1. Ben Rice hits four homers in a game: Jordan predicts that the New York Yankees' Ben Rice will have a rare four-homer game, a feat not seen since 2017.

2. Orioles combine for 500 home runs: The Orioles’ pitchers and hitters are predicted to collectively achieve 500 home runs, a rare statistic seen only in the 2019 juiced ball season.

3. Red Sox break doubles record: Expect the Boston Red Sox to set a record for doubles in a season, surpassing the 376 doubles recorded by the 2008 Rangers.

4. Bo Bichette's big contract: Toronto's Bo Bichette is predicted to perform so well that he lands a $250 million contract in the next offseason.

5. Tampa Bay Rays’ unique scenario: We could see a unique scenario similar to the Danny Jansen incident, in which a player is traded and plays for both teams in a game that is suspended and completed later.

6. Payton Eeles leads Twins in stolen bases: Although he's currently injured, Eeles is predicted to lead the Minnesota Twins in stolen bases.

7. Sean Burke vs. Garrett Crochet: The Chicago White Sox’s Sean Burke will have a lower ERA than new Boston Red Sox starter Garrett Crochet.

8. Bobby Witt Jr. reaches 12 WAR: Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr. will record a 12-WAR season, a level not seen since Barry Bonds.

9. Detroit Tigers have three All-Star starters: Tarik Skubal, Jackson Jobe and Casey Mize will all become All-Star pitchers.

10. Austin Hedges avoids worst hitter spot: Hedges, a common fixture among the bottom three MLB hitters, avoids being one of the five worst hitters this season.

1. Mike Soroka gets Cy Young vote: Even with Soroka's limited games, he’s predicted to earn at least one Cy Young vote.

2. Grant Holmes meets Danny McBride: Holmes will get the chance to meet the actor who portrayed Kenny Powers from "Eastbound and Down" thanks to their resemblance.

3. Valente Bellozo throws 200 innings: Velozo, who has never pitched more than 110 innings in the minors, is predicted to reach 200 innings pitched.

4. Jose Iglesias’ playoff appearance: Iglesias will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a playoff game.

5. Brandon Marsh changes his look: Marsh will surprise fans with a haircut.

6. Nolan Arenado’s postseason homer: Arenado will hit a postseason home run ... but for which team?

7. PCA’s steal on Jackie Robinson Day: Pete Crow Armstrong will steal home against lefty Yuki Matsui on a meaningful day.

8. Paul Skenes' dog's first pitch: Skenes' dog, Roux, is predicted to throw out a ceremonial first pitch.

9. Elly De La Cruz wins MVP: Elly is predicted to win NL MVP while leading the league in strikeouts, a rare feat.

10. Contreras brothers on the Brewers: The Brewers will trade for Wilson Contreras to pair with his brother, William.

1. Cam Smith’s home run feat: Jordan believes Houston’s Cam Smith will hit more homers than Kyle Tucker.

2. Rowdy Tellez out-homers the Pirates: With his new team in Seattle, Rowdy Tellez is predicted to hit more home runs than any Pirate.

3. Sebastian Walcott’s rise: Rangers prospect Walcott will play more major-league games than the more seasoned Evan Carter in 2025.

4. Kyle Hendricks’ hit bonanza: Angels starter Kyle Hendricks is predicted to allow 15 hits in a game.

5. Sacramento's dual-team player: An unusual crossover occurs in which a player appears in games for both the Sacramento River Cats and the Athletics.

6. Yuli Gurriel’s unique homer: The Padres’ Yuli Gurriel is predicted to homer off a pitcher who wasn't born when he debuted.

7. Buster Posey spotting: Giants POBO Posey is predicted to be seen in baseball pants, despite his current role in the front office.

8. "Snakes Alive" city connect: Arizona’s new uniforms will give a nod to the "Snakes Alive" fan sign.

9. Colorado Rockies' futile effort: The Rockies will not beat the Dodgers in any game.

10. Shohei Ohtani’s name tribute: Ohtani is predicted to give his child a name inspired by his buddy Mike Trout.

Whether these prophecies come true remains to be seen. For more on these predictions and the season ahead, tune in to "Baseball-Bar-B-Cast" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.

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Cubs at Diamondbacks prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, trends, and stats for March 27

Opening Day for the Cubs and Diamondbacks finds the National League clubs squaring off in Phoenix on Thursday night.

Justin Steele is slated to take the mound for Chicago against Zac Gallen for the Diamondbacks.

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Cubs at Diamondbacks

  • Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
  • Time: 10:10PM EST
  • Site: Chase Field
  • City: Phoenix, AZ
  • Network/Streaming: MSN, DBACKS.TV

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Cubs at the Diamondbacks

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Chicago Cubs (+110), Arizona Diamondbacks (-130)
  • Spread: Cubs +1.5 (-190), Diamondbacks -1.5 (+155)
  • Total: 8.5 runs

Listen to the Rotoworld Baseball Show for the latest player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.

Probable starting pitchers for Cubs at Diamondbacks

  • Thursday’s pitching matchup (March 27): Justin Steele vs. Zac Gallen
    • Cubs: Justin Steele
      Spring Training - 1GP, 4.0 IP, 0-1, 11.25 ERA, 5 Ks
    • Diamondbacks: Zac Gallen
      Spring Training - 4GP, 9.1 IP, 2-0, 2.89 ERA, 10 Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cubs at Diamondbacks

  • Prized offseason acquisition Kyle Tucker was just 3-30 (.100) in 13 Spring Training games
  • Highly touted 1B Michael Busch was 15-36 (.417) in 14 Spring Training games
  • Corbin Carroll hit .400 (18-45) in Spring Training for Arizona
  • Corbin Burnes gave up 9 earned runs in 16 IP this Spring

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for Thursday’s game between the Cubs and the Diamondbacks

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Cubs and the Diamondbacks:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on Arizona on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play ATS on the Diamondbacks -1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 8.5.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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Braves at Padres prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for March 27

Opening Day at Petco Park features the Padres hosting the Atlanta Braves.

CY Young winner Chris Sale is slated to take the mound for Atlanta against Cy Young hopeful Michael King of San Diego

Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Braves at Padres

  • Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
  • Time: 4:10PM EST
  • Site: Petco Park
  • City: San Diego, CA
  • Network/Streaming: FDSN South

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Braves at the Padres

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: Atlanta Braves (-130), San Diego Padres (+110)
  • Spread: Braves -1.5 (+145), Padres +1.5 (-175)
  • Total: 7 runs

Probable starting pitchers for Braves at Padres

  • Thursday’s pitching matchup (March 27): Chris Sale vs. Michael King
    • Braves: Chris Sale
      Spring Training - 5 GP, 19.1 IP, 1-1, 2.79 ERA, 20 Ks
    • Padres: Michael King
      Spring Training - 4GP, 13.2 IP, 1-1, 3.95 ERA, 13Ks

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Braves at Padres

  • Gavin Sheets hit 6 HRs in 54 ABs in Spring Training for San Diego
  • Manny Machado was just 7-33 (.212) in Spring Training for the Padres
  • Marcell Ozuna smacked 4 HRs in Spring Training for Atlanta
  • Matt Olson hit 3 HRs in Spring Training but had just 9 hits in 49 ABs (.184)

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Expert picks & predictions for Thursday’s game between the Braves and the Padres

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Braves and the Padres:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Braves on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Braves -1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 7.

Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Posted on

‘Brad, No Problem. Go, Leafs, Go! It's Business’: Nikita Grebenkin Reflects On Time In Toronto And Trade From Maple Leafs To Flyers

Nov 27, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Nikita Grebenkin (71) looks on against the Florida Panthers during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

It’s hard not to like Nikita Grebenkin. 

On Wednesday, TSN’s Mark Masters sat down for a one-on-one virtual meeting with now-former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nikita Grebenkin. The two discussed various topics, including his initial reaction to being traded from Toronto to Philadelphia at the deadline.

It’s safe to say the 21-year-old showed no hard feelings toward the organization.

“I understand 95% that Leafs traded me, and no surprise to me. Brad Treliving tell me, 'Nikita, you nice guy, but we traded you.’ I speak, 'Brad, no problem. Go, Leafs, Go! It's business.' I don't worry,” Grebenkin told Masters.

The Leafs traded Grebenkin and a first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft in return for the services of Scott Laughton, the Flyers’ fourth-round pick in 2025 and sixth-round pick in 2027, on March 7.

Grebenkin’s time with the Maple Leafs organization may have been short, but it was eventful. Drafted in the fifth round (135th overall) of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, he quickly developed into a fan favourite. 

Most notably, the Russian-born forward went viral for his “backcheck, forecheck, paycheck” comment after his NHL debut on November 20, 2024 – serving as a testament to his contagious energy. 

'Backcheck, Forecheck, And Paycheck': Nikita Grebenkin Proving To Be Fan And Team Favorite With Maple Leafs After NHL Debut'Backcheck, Forecheck, And Paycheck': Nikita Grebenkin Proving To Be Fan And Team Favorite With Maple Leafs After NHL DebutGrebenkin had one shot, four hits, and 11:05 of ice time with the Maple Leafs in his NHL debut.

Despite the move, Grebenkin had nothing but appreciation for Toronto and the people who helped him along the way.

“I like Toronto; thank you, Toronto. People, teammates, and general manager Brad, thank you, Brad. Guys really helped me start my career… thank you, Toronto, thank you. Go, Leafs, Go!”

Though he’s now with the Flyers, Grebenkin shared that he still keeps in touch with his former teammates – especially Max Domi.

“Yes, Max Domi. Max Domi tell me. Max helped me in Toronto. Every time he speak to me, I go down (to Marlies), I go up (to Leafs) everytime Max tells me, and I tell Max how are you? Enjoy your day. I like Max, and I like all my full teammates in Toronto Maple Leafs. Every guy helped me little, but helped,” said Grebenkin.

The bond between Grebenkin and Domi was evident after the trade. 

When Grebenkin posted a farewell message to Leafs fans on Instagram, he included a picture with Domi, who commented, “Good luck, buddy. Going to miss you.”

The forward has proven himself and his potential through his physicality and ability to produce at the AHL level, saying he’s ready for the opportunity that lies ahead in Philadelphia. 

“Right now, I stay in Philadelphia and work and want to help Philadelphia,” Grebenkin said.

Since being acquired by the Flyers, Grebenkin has spent his time playing for the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In four games, he has two goals, one assist, and three points.

“My start of season I go AHL, I go up NHL, go down, go up. It’s a different league. The last time I stay in NHL free week… don’t play, don’t go down, long time don’t play it’s hard. Now, right now, I have full focus,” he added.

With the Maple Leafs, Grebenkin played in seven games for the NHL club this season, spending most of his time in the organization with the affiliated Toronto Marlies. In 39 appearances with the Marlies, Grebenkin had nine goals, 12 assists, and 21 points.

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